Half to james f



(No Model.)

G. E. PAINTER. ELEGTRIG SWITCH.

No. 465,618. Patented Dec. 22, 1891.

INVENTOR GwynncEPailnfd):

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GVVYNNE E. PAINTER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- IIALF TO JAMES F. MORRISON, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,618, dated December 22, 189 1.

Application filed April 16, 1891. Serial No. 389,178. (No model.)

T to whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GWYNNE E.PAINTER,a

' citizen of the United States, residing at Baltiing, gas-lighting, bell-wiring, &c.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a safe and efficient switch which can be put up in an ordinary house and which will take up no available room and will not be an unsightly object.

My switch is so constructed that it can be let into the wainscotingor framing of doors and will lie flush therewith,and can be made ornamental or can be made the same color as its support and will be very inconspicuous.

The device is more completely shown and described in the accompanying specification and drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my switch in single form. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the contact as broken. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the circuit as completed. Fig. 4 shows my invention as applied to what is commonly known as a gangswitch. Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. at. Fig. 6 shows the reverse or front side of the switch, showing arrangement of push-buttons. Fig. 7 shows a double bell-circuit, partly in diagram.

In Fig. 1, A is a base-plate, preferably of insulating material, to which the various parts comprising my switch are secured. As here shown, the switch is used to make and break both sides of a circuit. At the center of the base A is secured a bridge-piece B, in which is pivoted a lever L. This lever L is adapted to be engaged at one end by a spring-detent D, which is secured to the base A. At its other end the lever L is provided with a switch-bar 0, either made of insulating ma terial or thoroughly insulated therefrom. Spring contact-pieces c c c c are secured to the base A by screws cl cl (1 (1 which are adapted to engage the conductors 1 2 3 4 of an incandescent-light or other circuit. The contact 0 is secured to the base opposite to c and c opposite to 0 and they are so positioned that they will be beneath the bar 0 and sufficiently apart to engage said bar and firmly hold it when it is forced between them by moving the lever L. The ends of the bar C are left bare in case of its being metallic and insulated from lever L or are covered with conducting material in case it is a nonconductor.

In order to manipulate the lever L, pushbuttons E E are provided in the face of the plate A, said push-buttons having a shank h,- adap-ted to engage lever L, and a spring i, which returns them to their normal position when the lever L has been placed in either of its operative positions. (Shown in Figs. 2 and 3.) This operation of the push-button is shown in the position of E, Fig. 2, and E, Fig. 3. As will be seen, by pressing the push-button Elever'L will be released from the detent D and the switch-bar O forced between the contact-pieces c c and 0 0 thus electrically completing the two sides of the circuit 1 2 3 l. This position is shown in Fig. 3. By pressing button E the lever will be returned to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the contacts made by bar G will be broken. 7

In Fig. 2 the lever is secured in position by the detent D alone, and in Fig. 3 by both the detent and the contact-pieces.

In Fig. 5 three of my switches are combined to form what is commonly known as a gangswitch. The number of individual switches and circuits in such an arrangement may of course be greater or less, according to circumstances. A special arrangement is shown in this figure for throwing on and off all the switches at once, and the advantage of this is that where a great many circuits are usedas, for instance, a number of gas-lighting circuits or incandescent circuitsall of them may be thrown on suddenly or all thrown off, or any number or any special one operated without reference to the others. To accomplish this I place two bars K and K immediately beneath, but not attached, to the levers, one bar being upon one side of the bridges l3 and the other being upon the opposite side. It will of course be necessary in order to operate these bars properly to make the spring i retracting instead of expanding, as is the case with the other push-buttons, and to secure one end of it to the base B and the other to the bars K K. The bars will then be retracted and the push-buttons F F be returned to their normal positions after each operation of the said bars K K, which move the levers comprised in the gang-switch.

Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 4, showing the relative position of the bars K K.

Fig. 6 shows the reverse side of the base A, with the push-buttons thereon, the switch being placed. in position.

Fig. 7 shows my device as applied to abellcircuit, although it is equally applicable in this form to any circuit where a single poleswitch is sufficient. As here seen, there are 1 two detents D D at opposite ends of the lever L. To each of these detents is attached one end of the conductors of two bell-circuits, the opposite ends being attached to one pole of abattery .I or other source of electricity. The other side of the circuit is formed by a third conductor, which leads from the opposite pole of the battery to a binding-screw on the bridge B, in which the lever L is pivoted. Between the batteryJ and the detents D D are placed the bells G G to be operated, and between the battery and the bridge B is placed a switch, which may be a third push-button E upon the base A or may be a simple switch located at any convenient point in a building. This third connection is here shown, however, as

a push at H. With the lever L in the position shown the bell G will be rung when the switch at H is closed or push at E is operated. If push B be pressed, the lever will be thrown overon the detent D, and if the switch on the third conductor be then closed the bell G'will ring.

Such an arrangement as just described might be used to great advantage where different circuits are used at different times and need to be frequently changed.

, It will be understood that the devices here shown are merely by way of illustration and that I do not confine myself to these exact details.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. An electric switch consisting of a baseplate, a rockinglever supported upon a shaft having its axis parallel to the surface of said plate, a detent engaging one end of said lever, a contact piece or pieces carried by its other end, but insulated therefrom, for making and breaking an electric circuit, and spring push-buttons extending through the plate to operate the said lever.

2. An electric switch comprising a baseplate, a rocking lever supported upon an axis parallel thereto, a detent detachably engaging one end of said lever, a contact-piece carried by the opposite end thereof, but insulated therefrom, circuit-terminals engaged by the contact, and spring push-buttons extending through the base-plate and engaging the lever, whereby it is adapted to be thrown into engagement with the detent of the circuitterminals.

3. An electric switch comprising a baseplate, a suitably supported rocking lever thereon, circuit-terminals upon the said baseplate, a spring-detent detachably engaging one end of the lever, a contact carried by the opposite end of said lever, consisting of two conducting parts insulated from each other, and a push button or buttons extending through the base-plate and engaging the rocking lever, whereby it may be thrown into or out of contact with the switch-terminals.

4. An electric switch comprisinga plurality of suitably-supported rocking levers, detents for engaging one end of each of said levers, contacts upon their opposite ends adapted to make or break electric circuits, independent means for operating each of the levers, and means for operating all of the levers simultaneously.

5. In an electric switch, the combination of a base-plate, a lever mounted upon an axis supported by said plate and rocking vertically with respect thereto, detents mounted upon the said plate adapted to engage the ends of the said lever, push-buttons extending through the base-plate and engaging the said lever, whereby it is put in contact with either of the detents, as desired, and a circuit or circuits connected to the said detents and adapted to be completed or broken by the operation thereof.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in' presence of two witnesses.

GIVYNNE E. PAINTER. Witnesses:

RoB'r. H. HOOPER, WM. H. J ONES. 

